Emirates took delivery of MSN272 on Thursday, 21 years after betting on the model as its launch customer during the 2000 Farnborough Air Show, when the aircraft was still being presented as A3XX, thus marking the end of the production line of the largest passenger aircraft in history. A total of 251 aircraft were produced, including three test aircraft.
This A380, registration A6-EVS, is the 123rd of the model delivered to Emirates by Airbus. The Dubai-based airline was key to the launch of the A380, and it was also a major contributor to the airline’s global expansion.
«The A380 is a special aircraft in many ways. For Emirates, it gave it the opportunity to redefine the travel experience, serve slot-scarce airports efficiently and enhance the growth of our network. It will continue to be Emirates’ flagship aircraft for years to come and an essential pillar in our plans,» said Sir Tim Clark, Emirates’ President.
The executive also highlighted that this A380 incorporates the latest enhancements to its passenger cabin, such as the new Premium Economy, which confirms Emirates’ intention to continue to invest in the model. 52 of the 120 A380s remaining in its fleet will be refurbished.
«The A380 has touched the lives of so many passengers by setting new standards in terms of flying and travel experience. I am sure it will continue to do so for decades to come with Emirates, which has steadily been introducing new services and products that allow passengers worldwide to experience the unique features of its A380s,» said Guillaume Faury, CEO of Airbus.
«On behalf of all the teams at Airbus, I would like to take this milestone to warmly thank Emirates Airline, the world’s largest A380 operator, for their unwavering loyalty, trust, and partnership,» he added.
Based on information gathered by Aviacionline through Cirium, by January 2022 Emirates will operate the A380 from Dubai to Amman, Amsterdam, Bangkok, Cairo, Guangzhou, Paris-CDG, Moscow-DME, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Sao Paulo-GRU, Hamburg, Istanbul, New York-JFK, Johannesburg, Los Angeles, London-LGW, London-LHR, Madrid, Manchester, Mauritius, Munich, Milan-MXP, Sydney, Vienna, Toronto, and Zurich.
This adds up to some 605 weekly flights with a supply of 296,181 seats, figures in both cases 52.5% lower than in the same month of 2020, prior to the pandemic outbreak.
